210 



DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



length. Flowers axillary, densely clnstered or in raceme-like panicles, 

 greenish. Fruit or ripened calyx generally armed with 2 or more strong, 

 blunt spines ; in some A'arieties the fruit is smooth or without spines. Flowers 

 in June. 



This plant, which is grown from the seed, sports, and many varieties have 

 arisen. The most important ones are the round, smootli-leaved, and the 

 prickly-leaved ; the last is more hardy, and best for autumn planting. 



A variety known as the Flanders Spinach has double-hastate and wrinkled 

 leaves. The Large Prickly has very large leaves, rounded or spatulate. 



The Lettuce-leaved has 

 rounded, deep green, 

 smooth leaves on short 

 stalks. These are the 

 favorite varieties ; there 

 are others intermediate. 



Geographic . — The 

 spinach grows well 

 throughout the middle 

 of the north temperate 

 zone, and is found in 

 the kitchen and market 

 gardens of the Old 

 World, from Hindustan 

 to the western shores 

 and islands of Europe ; 

 and in the eastern 

 United States of North 

 America. It also has 

 been carried to the 

 islands of the South 

 Pacific by European 

 colonists. 

 Etymology. — Spinacia is derived from the Latin spina, " a thorn," on account 



of the armed condition of the seed-vessel. Oleracea is from the Latin oleraceus, 



" a pot herb." Spinach, or spinage, the common name, is a corruption of spinacia. 

 History. — The home of this plant is Persia, whence it has found its way by 



commerce, colonization, and travellers to all parts of the civilized world. 

 Just how or when it was taken to Europe is not known. It was brought to 



the United States from Europe, where it receives much attention by gardeners. 



It is fit for use early in the spring, to which circumstance its popularity and 



market value are largely due. 



Use. — The leaves of spinach are boiled with salt meats, or alone, and served 



plain or with a vinegar-sauce, or eaten with salt only as a condiment. It is 



one of the most delicate of all the plants used for greens, and on this account 



justly ranks high as a table vegetable. 



Spinacia oleracea (Spinach). 



Order XLTV. POLYGONACE^. 



Flowers perfect or polygamous, without involucre ; perianth of 3-6 

 segments, inner ones or all often petaloid ; stamens 1 to 9 or 6 to 8. 

 sometimes 12 to 17 ; ovary free, occasionally adhering below, 1-celled, 



